Israeli forces martyr four Hamas members in occupied West Bank

Zionist officials have long voiced concern that Hamas intends to gain strength in the occupied West Bank and challenge its rival there, the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA), heightening security risks for Israel, reported by Asharq Al-Awsat Newspaper.

The incidents in the early hours of Sunday marked the most serious confrontations between Israel and Hamas in the West Bank in months and threatened to raise tensions across the occupied territories and along the Israeli border with Gaza.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah party lost control of Gaza to Hamas in internal fighting in 2007, accused Israel in a statement of "field executions against our people".

Hamas called on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank "to escalate resistance against the occupier in all areas" in the wake of the raids. A Hamas spokesman said all the men were members of the group.

An Israeli military spokesperson said troops carried out five raids in the West Bank to what he said stop a Hamas members and launching attacks.

Four others were arrested, the spokesperson said.

The Palestinian health ministry confirmed four Palestinians had been martyred in two shootouts in the central and northern West Bank.